Sub-task: Identifying Community Program Inventory
Summary
Identifying selective community programs, taking into account best practices published on ES Best Practice Portal, for mental health promotion and prevention, strategically designed for various settings, including municipalities, schools, kindergartens, social services, workplaces, local communities, etc. These programs are designed for different target groups (teachers, social workers, childcare workers, health visitors, parents, caregivers), including women in the perinatal phase (pregnancy to the end of the first year postpartum), to promote mental health in women and their newborns as early as possible. The aim is to enhance access to evidencebased, innovative, promising, and personalized approaches and interventions for managing mental health problems.
Identifying equity-focused actions such as:
- targeted measures to support particularly vulnerable groups such as migrants, refugees, Roma, and displaced persons from Ukraine.
- targeted actions to reduce health inequalities, especially among socio-economically disadvantaged populations.
- targeted actions to address mental health challenges exacerbated by the pandemic, with a particular focus on vulnerable groups such as disadvantaged and Roma youth, children of parents with lower education or income.
- targeted actions for patients with mental illness to improve their health processes, avoid complications, enhance their daily functioning, and elevate their quality of life; this strategy also endeavors to counter stigma and foster social inclusion, particularly among vulnerable groups (i.e. physical exercise as a non-pharmacological health therapy)
Implementing community-based mental health promotion programs tailored to individuals with mental illness, including evidence-based interventions like physical exercise as a non-pharmacological therapy, drawing from recognized European best practices such as Activa’t (Get Active!).
Specifically, for implementation of the Activa’t Best practice the following actions will be performed:
Identification and collaboration: Identify primary care centers, mental health centers, and Mental Health Hospitals to establish a collaboration network with municipalities providing sports spaces. Coordinate with local authorities to secure venues for conducting the 6-month physical exercise program, consisting of sessions held three days a week, each lasting one hour.
Participant recruitment and program integration: Mental health patients from primary care centers and mental health centers will integrate into existing ACTIVA groups alongside individuals with other pathologies. Patients of short and medium stay from mental health hospitals will receive physical exercise prescriptions from their doctors, with requests forwarded to the ACTIVA program management institution. Specialized groups will be formed for these patients, led by trained sports physical educators. Ensure patients leave the hospital premises for program sessions, conducted in sports spaces provided by the city council, if necessary, and accompanied by nursing assistants if required.
Program implementation: Engage a subcontracted company to provide qualified physical exercise graduates who will execute the program designed by experts (ACTIVA Program) and conduct specific training sessions.
Evaluation and Monitoring: Conduct initial and final evaluations for all participants, monitoring their progress throughout the program. Assess patients’ clinical data, ensuring compliance with data protection laws. Utilize tests such as quality of life questionnaires, physical condition assessments (aerobic, strength, balance, and flexibility), satisfaction surveys, and evaluations of lifestyle factors including toxic habits, nutrition, and sleep patterns.
Target Participants: Recruitment of 75 subjects from primary care centers and mental health centers participating in regional ACTIVA programs, along with 50 subjects from Mental Health Hospitals joining specialized ACTIVA groups.